American Pain Foundation Survey Uncovers Treatment Questions and Concerns Among People with Pain

Nearly 1 in 5 People with Chronic Pain Report Difficulty in
Reaching their Primary Pain Care Provider with Questions about
Care

BALTIMORE, Sept. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Pain
Foundation (APF) released survey results today showing that 17% of
adults with chronic pain who have tried to reach their primary pain
care providers with questions face difficulties doing so. The
national survey commissioned by APF and conducted online by Harris
Interactive in August 2011 among 2,118 adults 18 and older of which
619 currently live with chronic pain, also found that nearly half
(43%) of those who have sought out pain treatment options had
questions about their treatment after they left their provider's
office. Among these, the top three questions relate to treatment
side effects (62%), duration of treatment (55%) and cost
(41%). The survey data was released during Pain Awareness
Month.

"Concerns about side effects, how long to stay on a treatment
and affordability of care are all factors that play a role in
treatment efficacy, adherence, and ultimately the success or
failure of a pain treatment program," said Micke Brown, BSN, RN,
director of communications for the American Pain Foundation.
"Consumers are bombarded with messages about speaking with their
health care provider with questions. It's imperative that
people with pain who are under the care of a health care provider
are able to easily access their providers when they have
questions. Open lines of communication and trust between
providers and their patients are critical in pain management
programs."

The survey found that of those who reached out to their health
care providers with questions about treatment, almost everyone
(99%) eventually received a response, the same day (83%) or one day
or more later (16%). Also, nearly everyone (98%) reported
that the responses to their questions were "at least somewhat
helpful."

Unfortunately, 14% of adults living with chronic pain who have
questions about their pain treatment have not tried to reach out to
their providers. Reasons cited among these 52 people for not
contacting their providers included: not wanting to "bother" their
health care provider (11% of those surveyed); fear of looking like
a "complainer" (8% of those surveyed); and fear of looking like a
"drug seeker" or "drug addict" (7% of those surveyed).

"If a person with pain does not feel comfortable reaching out to
their health care provider with questions, that's a red flag," said
Brown. "Part of raising awareness of issues surrounding pain
is to help people understand their right to timely and effective
pain care. We were pleased to see that many people appear to
have a good relationship with their primary pain care
provider. It is critical that people with pain have a solid
understanding of their recommended treatment and should feel
empowered to speak up if they have questions. As health care
providers striving to deliver safe and effective pain care, we
expect our patients to report back to us. We, therefore, must make
sure that we are available to respond accordingly."

Information about pain and tools to help with health care
provider communication are available at APF's website, www.painfoundation.org.
Additionally, information about pain treatment safety for both
consumers and health care providers is available at APF's
PainSAFE™ site, www.PainSafe.org. As a part of
September's Pain Awareness Month observance, APF also launched the
"If I Lived in a World with Less Pain, I Could…" campaign on
Facebook this month, which invites people to share their experience
online. The submissions will be collected and presented to
President Barack Obama in an effort to secure a first-ever
presidential proclamation for September as National Pain Awareness
Month.

Other Survey Findings

Consistent with other national prevalence estimates, this
general population survey found that 28% of people report
experiencing chronic pain as defined by pain that lasts longer than
what would normally be expected (e.g., after an injury, episode,
procedure), which can last for many months, years or a lifetime,
can be constant or in intervals, and may or may not be related to
some other chronic disease or disorder.

Of people who report pain, 92% have sought treatment of any kind
for their pain. Among people with pain seeking treatment for
their pain, 72% of people have ever been treated by a health care
provider, but this varies greatly by age. Younger people
(18-34) are less inclined to seek treatment, with only 45% saying
they have ever sought treatment from a health care provider, while
76% of those aged 55-64 say they have ever sought treatment from a
health care provider for their pain. This increases to 88% in
adults 65+.

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by
Harris Interactive via its QuickQuery omnibus product on behalf of
the American Pain Foundation from Aug. 31-Sept. 2, 2011 among 2,118
adults ages 18 and older, among which 619 are currently
experiencing chronic pain. This online survey is not based on a
probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical
sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology,
including weighting variables, please contact Tina Regester at
tregester@painfoundation.org.

About the American Pain Foundation

Founded in 1997, the American Pain Foundation (APF) is an
independent, nonprofit 501(c)3 and the largest national advocacy
organization that serves people affected by pain. APF speaks out
for people living with pain, caregivers, health care providers and
allied organizations, working together to dismantle the barriers
that impede access to quality pain care for all. The mission of APF
is to educate, support and advocate for people affected by pain.
For more information, visit www.painfoundation.org.

Related Links:

Learn more by visiting the American Pain Foundation.

For information about pain treatment safety, visit PainSAFE.

Information on APF's Pain Awareness Month "If I Lived in a World
with Less Pain, I Could..." campaign

Additional information on APF and pain can be found in the For
the Media section of website.

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